China is currently testing two experimental satellites, Tiandu-1 and Tiandu-2, in an effort to advance lunar communication and navigation technologies.
The satellites recently transmitted an image captured from the surface of the Moon, with the eerie shape of Earth appearing in the background.
Launched on March 19th with a Long March 8 rocket, the Tiandu-1 and Tiandu-2 satellites are part of a larger mission named Chang'e-6. This mission aims to collect samples from the far side of the Moon and return them to Earth, aiding China in its ambitions to establish permanent bases on the Moon, reports Live Science.
Communication tests between the Earth and the Moon began on April 13th, one of the results being the newly published infrared image showcasing the Moon's crater-filled surface, with the ghostly figure at the bottom actually being the distant Earth.
The Tiandu satellites achieved lunar orbit on April 3rd and are flying approximately 200 kilometers apart. Tiandu-1 weighs 61 kilograms and is equipped with a Ka-band dual-frequency communicator, a laser retroreflector, and a space router. Tiandu-2, weighing 15 kilograms, carries communication and navigation instruments.
China's Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (DSEL) has announced that the test satellites will continue to perform experiments in lunar communication and navigation technology. The outcomes will support the design and construction of the planned International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) and the Queqiao satellite constellation, which aims to enhance moon-based communication, navigation, and remote sensing.